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NEW DELHI, Mar 31: Seeking major changes in the electoral laws and introduction of certain new fundamental rights, the Constitution Review Commission today submitted its recommendations to the Government leaving it to political parties to resolve the controversial issue of barring people of foreign origin from occupying high constitutional posts. The voluminous 1976-page report containing 249 recommendations was submitted to the Union Law and Justice Minister Arun Jaitley by Justice M N Venkatachaliah, Chairman of the National Commission to Review the working of the Constitution, at a function here this evening. The issue of foreign origin people occupying the highest constitutional positions was skirted by the panel which said it was for the political parties to have dialogue and evolve a consensus on the contentious issue, Commission sources said. Former Lok Sabha Speaker and Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma had resigned as a member of the Commission after his suggestions to bar foreign origin people from holding top constitutional posts was not accepted. Sangma, along with Sharad Pawar, Tariq Anwar and some other leaders, had left Congress on the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin and her leadership of the party that positions her to occupy high constitutional post. Asked to comment on the issue of foreign origin, Justice Venkatachaliah said "it is already in your knowledge. I don’t want to comment. Sangma took the issue and had gone to the press. The outcome is what Sangma had said. We have not contradicted him." Justice Venkatachaliah said the most important part of the report related to electoral reforms and laws relating to the conduct of political parties. He said the Commission has recommended inclusion of certain new fundamental rights, including the right to privacy, right against torture and right to education. In fact, India is signatory to a number of international conventions that make it obligatory for the country to enact domestic laws in conformity with those conventions, he said. Justice Venkatachaliah said the main theme of the entire exercise was about development in relation to forces of global change. The Commission Chairman said decentralisation, Centre-State relations and pace of socio-economic change were other important spheres that had engaged the Commission. On the issue of making the recommendations public, he said "there are some sensitive recommendations. Now that I have submitted the report, it is for Government to decide to put it in the public domain." Asked if there were any dissenting notes, Justice Venkatchaliah said "the exercise would have been meaningless had there been no dissent. There are one or two areas where there are differences of opinion." After receiving the report on the Commission’s last working day, Jaitley said the Government would study it and make its recommendations public shortly. "Parliament session is on. It is only a mid-term break. After studying the report and discussing it with Parliamentarians and States, we will make the recommendations public," the Law Minister said. Asked how long the Government would take to examine the report, he shot back "we are yet to read even the first page." Justice Venkatachalaliah said the press did not give adequate coverage to the Commission’s deliberations as also to the meticulously drafted Consultation papers. "Personally, I think it did not receive the kind of publicity it deserved," he said. In all, the Commission received 26,000 responses from the public. However, Justice Venkatachaliah said "given the size of population, I will say, it was not adequate." Apart from Arun Jaitley and M N Venkatchaliah, its Secretary Dr Raghbir Singh, and members — Attorney General Soli Sorabji, Justice R S Sarkaria, Justice Kottapalli Punnayya, Dr Abid Hussain, C R Irani, K Parasaran and former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha Subhash C Kashyap were present at the report presentation function. The Commission was set up to review the working of the constitution and to examine in the light of the last 50 years, the needs of modern India within the framework of Parliamentary democracy and recommend changes, if any, without interfering with the Constitution’s basic structure. It took 18 months to prepare the two-volume report. The first contains its main recommendations while the second consists of three books containing the detailed consultation papers, background papers, details of deliberations and the report of its drafting and editorial Committee. The Commission identified eleven areas of concern and adopted the methodology of releasing consultation papers on the vital issues relating to those topics for generating wide public debate and eliciting public opinion. The areas of study were assigned to different members of the Commission. The Commission, with the assistance of research institutions and eminent persons, prepared 22 consultation papers and released the same along with suitable questionnaires to the public. Advisory panels consisting of eminent persons to finalise the consultation papers were constituted by Commission. The Commission held 18 sessions of sittings covering about 46 days to finalise its report.(PTI) |
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Injured refuses to accept
relief cheque Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 31: The toll in the militants’ attack on Raghunath temple here yesterday rose to 10 today with one of the 19 injured succumbing to his injuries. The injured who succumbed to his injuries at Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu has been identified as Shanker Singh, son of Paras Ram of Jaganoo. He had sustained bullet wounds in chest, stomach and a portion of his spine was blown into pieces during the attack. Doctors attending on him told EXCELSIOR that he was passing through multiple trauma and chances of his survival from the very beginning of his admission in the hospital were bleak. "Patients with such injuries never survive but despite that we made all possible efforts to save his life", one of the doctors said. Superintendent of the Government Medical College and Hospital Dr Ramesh Gupta said that only eight of the injured are presently undergoing treatment in Disaster Ward of the hospital and all others were discharged after having been properly examined. "There was no need to keep them in hospital for more period as they had not so critical injuries and could recover in their respective homes without any problem", he further said and disclosed that only one of patients is presently undergoing treatment at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital. The injured admitted in ICU namely Gulzar Ahmed of Peer Mitha has critical injuries at ear and neck. "He was finding it difficult to breathe and doctors have inserted a tube in his neck for his smooth breathing", Deputy Superintendent of the Hospital Dr Yashpal informed and said that the condition of Gulzar is still critical. Meanwhile, one of the injured Anjum Sharma, son of Jagdish Sharma of Talab Tillo Bohri has refused to accept the cheque of Rs 5000 from Tehsildar Jammu. On his continuous refusal, Tehsildar assured that he will bring his case before the higher authorities and try to sanction more relief in his favour. Later, he accepted the cheque. Talking to visiting EXCELSIOR Correspondent Mrs Seema Sharma, wife of Anjum Sharma said "you know very well that Rs 5000 is a meager amount these day and treatment for month or more would cost them more than Rs 30,000. Anjum, who is working as salesman in Style-n-Style Garments Shop, is the lone bread earner for his family of four which included two children and injuries he had sustained during the terrorists attack landed him in a piquant situation. He had not fully recovered from the operation of his right leg that misfortune again struck him and virtually made him bed ridden. "Earlier I used to move slowly and slowly but the injuries I have sustained in terrorist attack has made me to remain on bed for atleast two more months", Anjum said while writhing in pain. Though the Tehsildar had assured to provide more relief to Anjum yet his family members are of the view that none from the administration side will come to inquire about Anjum’s health. "We are confident that we will not receive anything else", wife of Anjum said, adding "everyone is very well aware of the attitude of the administration". She had all praise for the hospital staff and hoped that they will look after her husband in same manner. The condition of all other injured was stable and they will be discharged from the hospital within one or two days. |
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Two employees among 3 shot dead by ultras Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 31: Three civilians including two employees of SFC and Forest Department were killed in separate militancy-related incidents across Doda and Rajouri districts today while a teen-aged girl was kidnapped by the terrorists. A group of unidentified terrorists struck at village Khari near Srachi in Banihal tehsil of Doda district last night and gunned down a SFC employee Mohd Sadiq Naik son of Abdul Rehman. The terrorists escaped after the killing. Reports said the terrorists had asked Naik to pay them a sufficient amount for carrying out their activities but he had refused to oblige the ultras. This was stated to be the reason behind the killing of Naik, official sources said. A police team from Banihal police station reached Khari this morning for investigations. However, no arrest has been made so far in connection with the killing. Another civilian Bashir Ahmed son of Ghulam Nabi, a daily wager with Forest Department, was shot dead by security personnel at village Rolu in Banihal early today. Ahmed refused to stop on being signaled by the securitymen and started running in an opposite direction. Security jawans suspected Bashir Ahmed a terrorist and shot him dead. His body was sent to the hospital for post-mortem. In another incident, the terrorists shot dead a civilian Irshad Hussain son of Akhter Hussain in his house at village Azmatabad in Thanna Mandi area of Rajouri district last night. According to reports, the terrorists were looking for Irshad Hussain’s brother, a former Special Police Officer (SPO). As the ex-SPO was not present in the house, the ultras shot dead his brother and fled away. Meanwhile, a terrorist, who was shot dead yesterday by the troops of 8 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Task Force (STF) in Marmat area of Kishtwar tehsil in Doda district, has been identified as Saleem Jaffar alias Hamza. Hamza was a Pakistani activist of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. A teen-aged girl Badran daughter of Mohd Sain was kidnapped by four miscreants at village Bunjwah in Doda district last evening. One of the kidnapper has reportedly been identified as Noormain son of Mustafa Gujjar while identity of his three associates couldn’t be ascertained immediately. Local police have registered a case in the kidnapping and were making efforts to trace the girl and her captors. Another explosion today rocked village Kharak Panja in Dharmshal area of Kalakote tehsil causing injuries to a woman Champa Devi wife of Inder Kumar. Two civilians and two securitymen were injured in Kharak Panja in the IED explosions yesterday. The terrorists had tied a series of IEDs and anti-personnel mines around four electric poles after blasting them at Kharak Panja on March 29. |
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Local contact helped ultras in Ragunath temple attack Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 31: Police have launched a hunt for a ‘local contact’ of two fidayeens, who yesterday struck at Ragunath temple killing five civilians and three cops. Certain clues gathered by Jammu Police during investigations in the first-ever suicide attack in the City confirmed the involvement of a ‘local person’ in assisting the fidayeens to execute their task. Though all the police officers, engaged in hectic investigations in the suicide attack, remained tight-lipped over the clues, a senior police officer told EXCELSIOR tonight that they had succeeded in extracting some clues during the investigations. "Very fact that both the fidayeens, who have been confirmed as Pakistanis albeit their identity had not been established, were carrying two brand new pithoo bags and wearing new shoes confirmed that they had been assisted by a ‘local contact’ in carrying out the attack", he said. The bags and shoes were of very high quality and had been brought by the fidayeens alongwith them from Pakistan. The bags had been specially designed for carrying the rifles, grenades and ammunition, he said. According to police, the fidayeens had night halt somewhere around the City before carrying out the strike. Prior to that, the duo had also conducted recee of Ragunath Bazaar as well as the historic temple. "The way the terrorists had no hesitation in reaching the busy Ragunath Bazaar from by-lanes, started firing on the main road and rushed towards the temple left no doubts that they had carried out recee of the area", the officer said and added that ‘all this wouldn’t have been possible without the assistance of a local contact’. He said so far ‘we hadn’t been able to identity the local contact but our efforts were on to get him. Some suspects have been rounded up to reach to the contact, who could prove very vital in smashing the terrorists’ network in the temple town’. Police also had reports that the fidayeens used a three-wheeler upto a specific point before entering a by-lane to reach Ragunath Bazaar. Meanwhile, police today launched a house-to-house search operation in several localities in the City to get the ‘local contact’ of the terrorists as well as look for some other terrorists, who might have sneaked into the City. This was for the first time that a house-to-house search operation was launched by police in the City, police sources pointed out and said the operation was being supervised by the senior police officers. However, no arrest has been made so far during the operation. Investigations in the case are being handed over to a special City police team, the sources said. |
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Muzafarrabad directive warns Hurriyat Vajpayee's poll call against jihad: Salahuddin From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Mar 31: Pakistani ISI's blue-eyed boy, Syed Salahuddin, has ordered the dreaded Hizbul Mujahideen cadre in Kashmir to join hands with like-minded groups to prevent "all freedom-loving people" from participating in the Assembly elections due in September-October next. Pakistan-based Salahuddin's directive surfaced after the crucial meeting of the 15-party United Jihad Council (UJC) in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Radio intercepts have made it abundantly clear that the UJC, which is, to all intents and purposes a key alliance of Pakistan-based militant groups, wants "all freedom-loving people" of Kashmir to rise as one-man and abort Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee's call urging all sections of the Kashmir to take part in a "free and fair poll" One of the intercepts quoted Salahuddin as informing the Hizbul Mujahideen in particular and "freedom-loving people" in general about the "vital" decision taken at the meeting of the United Jihad Council: "Fidayeen ko hidayat dee gayee hai ki voh Bharati kutoon kaa safaaya karey, khaaskar un ifraad kaa jo Kashmiri mujahideen ko election mein shaamil honay kay liyey majboor kareingay (suicide squads have been instructed to liquidate Indian dogs, particularly those individuals who are going to force Kashmiri fighters to participate in the elections)". Another radio intercept contained a stern warning for leaders of Kashmir's All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC): "Agar kisee bhi Hurriyat leader nay Hindustani hukoomat kay huq mein koyee bhi kadam uthaaya, tab hamaray mujahideen AK-47 aur IED kaa sahee istamal karaingay (If any leader of the Hurriyat Conference is found taking any step to help the Indian Government, then our mujahideen will make use of AK-47 and IED against him. The UJC leader, Salahuddin's message, while alleging that thousands of Kashmiris have been killed by Indian forces since 1988 for their fight to "win freedom from India", also warned the Hurriyat leaders: "As these sacrifices were made not to bring one or the other group into power in the elections, fidayeen (suicide squads) already available in various parts of Kashmir will not tolerate any conspiracy against the freedom-loving Kashmiris". Equally significant is the signal from Muzaffarabad for militants and subversives in Kashmir during the proposed visit to the Valley by the Prime Minister, Mr Vajpayee, and other Indian leaders. Apparently, the signal, which has favoured "a total shutdown and anti-India stir" during Mr Vajpayee's visit to Srinagar, is the outcome of Mr Vajpayee's recent announcement in the Rajya Sabha that he would "soon" visit Kashmir for wide-ranging consultations with various sections to work out poll strategy. Mr Vajpayee, in fact, has urged separatist organisations to join the election fray. The United Jihad Council, which has already made it clear that any decision taken by Srinagar-based Hurriyat Conferene "shall have to be referred" to it (UJC) for approval or otherwise, has yet another guideline for militant groups in Kashmir. Any election under the Indian constitution will only legitimize New Delhi's control. The United Jihad Council will not permit this to happen as, according to Salahuddin, jihad against "Indian occupation forces' will suffer a setback by the participation of Kashmiri people in the elections. Significance is also attached to the message dashed off to Kashmir by UK-based Jammu and Kashmir National Independence Alliance, calling for "total boycott of the coming elections". The emergence on the scene of the JKNIA (Jammu and Kashmir National Independence Alliance) followed the merger of seven UK-based Kashmir groups including the JKLF and JKNLF. |
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Massive drive from April
3-18 Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 31: Election Department of Jammu and Kashmir has extended another opportunity to the youngsters and other left out electorates to register themselves and participate in the Assembly elections due later this year. The Department had decided to launch a drive from April 3 to 18 for updation of electoral rolls from April 3 to 18, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Parmod Jain told EXCELSIOR today. He said all eligible voters can register themselves before Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in Kashmir valley and Assistant Commissioners Revenue (ACRs) in Jammu division, who had been designated as Electoral Returning Officers (EROs). The drive is being undertaken to improve eligibility and reliability of the electoral rolls, which had witnessed some discrepancies during February 21 by-election to Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary constituency, Jain said, adding ‘the electorates can use the occasion for additions, deletions and corrections in the lists’. According to CEO, the Department has also authorised the EROs to go in for suo moto deletions of the voters, who were dead. Under law, the Department can delete the names of dead voters on its own, he said. In rural areas, the officers have been asked to compare the electoral lists with the Panchayat voting lists, which were better and appreciated by the political parties while in urban areas, the Deputy Commissioners have been given a choice to carry out a door-to-door campaign or delete names on the basis of death certificates record of Jammu Municipality. Hitherto, about 54 lakh electorates are eligible for exercising their franchise in the Assembly elections. The number would go up after updation of the electoral rolls is completed, Jain said. Updation exercise of the Election Department will also take care of discrepancies in the electoral list especially the difference in Hindi and Urdu lists, which were witnessed during the recent Parliamentary poll. "The discrepancies will be sorted out. The reliable list will be translated into the other language", he added. As usual, the machinery of Revenue Department will be involved in the entire exercise. Notices to this effect would also be displayed in the offices of Deputy Commissioners, Tehsildars and Block Development Officers (BDOs). Meanwhile, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would be used in all segments in the State during the Assembly elections this year. Representation of People’s Act (RPA) has been amended and also assented to by the Government to facilitate use of the EVMs. |
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Purification performed at
Ragunath temple Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 31: Violence erupted in Udhampur town on Jammu-Srinagar national highway this morning when an agitated mob subjected the Srinagar-bound vehicles to heavy stone pelting necessitating police lathicharge while the bandh evoked a mixed response in Jammu and Bhaderwah towns in protest against yesterday’s fidayeen attack at Ragunath temple that killed 10 persons including two terrorists. About 100-odd youths belonging to different political and social organisations marched to Moara Morh on the national highway at 0900 hours today and started pelting stones on TATA Sumos, buses and private vehicles, heading for Srinagar. Over a dozen vehicles were damaged by the protesters. However, local police immediately swung into action and chased away the stone pelting youths. Police had to resort to mild lathicharge to disperse the protesters but there was no report of any injuries. Traffic on the highway remained suspended for more than one hour due to the protests. Later, traffic resumed on the highway under tight security arrangements made by police to prevent any untoward incident, police said. Police took into custody 10 activists of Dogra Kranti Dal (DKD) and National Panthers Party (NPP) into preventive custody for causing damage to the private vehicles. They were released late in the evening. Rest of the Udhampur town observed a peaceful bandh against the fidayeen attack. All shops and other business concerns remained closed in the town and the outskirts. Commercial transport remained off the roads. Police and para-military remained deployed in the town to ward off the possibility of any untoward incident. Meanwhile, a joint bandh call given by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), supported by various organisations of the Sangh Parivar received partial response in Jammu. The organisations had given two days bandh call to lodge protest against terrorist attack on Shri Ragunath Bazaar temple in which 10 persons were killed. Most of the shops and business establishment remained closed in the walled city while the bandh evoked a mixed response in the City’s outskirts. Ever busy Ragunath Bazaar, which witnessed the gruesome incident yesterday and also lost a shop owner as well as a salesman, wore a deserted look for the second consecutive day today. All shops and business establishments of Ragunath Bazaar, Upper Gumat, Hari Market, Ranbir Market, City Chowk, Kanak Mandi and adjoining areas remained closed. A large number of people gathered in different bazaars of the city and were seen discussing the situation. Fear loomed large on the faces of the shopkeepers of Ragunath Bazaar, who gathered in the market and held a joint prayers for peace to those killed and speedy recovery of the injured. In the outskirts of the city, the bandh received a mixed response. In some areas, the shops and business establishments were opened while in other areas, the shopkeepers voluntarily downed their shutters. Vehicular traffic plied normally on all routes, barring Old City. No untoward incident was reported from the city and elsewhere as police and para-military forces maintained vigil in sensitive areas as a precautionary measure. Additional forces were deployed in some areas to avoid any untoward incident. Shops owned by the minority community also remained closed in Bhaderwah town of Doda district in protest against the fidayeen attack at Ragunath temple. Meanwhile, hundreds of devotees and priests today performed mass purification and joint prayers at the Ragunath Temple complex here "desecrated" by two fidayeens. About 40 priests from different temples across Jammu city, assisted by over 500 devotees, this morning performed "Shudhikaran" and cleaned the temple complex, which houses nearly 20 temples of different Gods and Goddesses. After the "Shudhikaran" ended around 1100 hours, some 1500 devotees joined them and performed "Samuhik Puja" (joint prayers) at the complex. "Shudhikaran has been performed as terrorists have desecrated the temple complex by firing and triggering grenade blast resulting in deaths of innocent people", a priest of the Temple said. After conclusion of mass prayers, a massive protest rally was taken out in the city from Ragunath Temple complex to the parade ground. The protesters, joined by passers-by raised slogans against terrorists, Pakistan and Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. However, no untoward incident took place during the procession which was escorted by police. |
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Govt to give up all controls in petroleum sector NEW DELHI, Mar 31 : Amidst surging international oil prices, Government would give up all its controls in the petroleum sector from tomorrow enabling oil companies to fix prices of products like petrol and diesel. The three-decade old control on this vital sector comes to an end with the dismantling of Administered Pricing Mechanism (APM) tomorrow, a decision for which was taken by the previous United Front Government. Under the new dispensation, Government would provide limited subsidies for kerosene and cooking gas at a flat rate of Rs three a litre for kerosene and Rs 90 a cylinder respectively. In the face of increased international crude prices to about U S 25 dollars a barrel from about U S 20 dollars at the time of presentation of Union budget (2002-2003), Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Ram Naik had said Government will have to consider cut in excise duties to check hike in prices of petro-products like petrol and diesel in case of firming up of international crude prices. "In extreme volatilities (surge in prices) of global crude prices, change in excise duty is one instrument available. Naturally as a sector watchdog, I would be moving the Finance Minister as and when the situation demands," he said. While stating that he would not give directions to oil PSUs on the price front, Naik said that "I feel there should be stability in prices in the interest of consumers. Price changes should not be frequent... Changes can be effected every month or every three month." "Since presently only PSUs are marketing petro products, I desire that the changeover to deregulated market should be smooth," he said while indicating that prices may not undergo changes in the first three months of dismantling of the APM. (PTI) |
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NEW DELHI, Mar 31: Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Sikander Bakht is likely to be appointed new Governor of Kerala, BJP sources here said tonight. A final decision is expected to be taken soon by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, they said. Present Kerala Governor Justice (Retd) S S Kang’s tenure ended in January this year and he is on extension. (PTI) |
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Pak to raise Kashmir issue at OIC meet KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 31: Pakistan Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider today said Islamabad would raise the Kashmir issue at the Organisation of Islamic Conference meet starting tomorrow and claimed that Islamic schools in his country were not spawning grounds for terrorists. Haider said that Pakistan would try to raise the issue of Kashmir at a three-day gathering of ministers from Muslim countries to discuss terrorism. Haider, arriving for the OIC meeting that aims to dispel perceptions of links between the faith and terrorism, said that 21,000 foreigners were enrolled in Pakistani madrassas. Among them are 18,000 Afghans, many of them refugees. "It’s not true that madrassas are associated with militancy," Haider told the Malaysian news agency Bernama. "Maybe one belonging to a party which we have banned ... Otherwise, all madrassas are clean." Haider claimed that foreign students preferred to study religion in Pakistan because the madrassas offer world-acclaimed religious education. (AP) |
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JERUSALEM, Mar 31: A suicide bomber killed himself and 14 others when he blew himself up in a restaurant in Haifa today in a blast so powerful that the roof of the one-storey building caved in, police said. The deadly explosion, just across the street from a gas station, left another 35 people injured. The restaurant’s interior was a mass of twisted metal and broken bodies as police and ambulance workers pulled the injured from the wreckage. A shocked witness recounted seeing people in flames after the blast in this northern Israeli port city. The human bomb attack came less than 24 hours after a Kamikaze killed himself and injured 29 in a Tel Aviv cafe. "Watching people on fire is terrible. I heard an explosion, I went into the gas station and I started to take care of the injured people," Shimon Sebag, a witness, told public radio. "I tried to put out the fire, even the moderately injured were on fire," he said. The restaurant’s owner, Micki Matzah, told the radio: I was close by when I heard the explosion. There were body parts everywhere." The Ezzedine Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic militant group Hamas, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in a telephone call to AFP. It named the attacker as Shaadi Tubassi, 22, from the Jenin refugee camp. The blast came as Israel’s security cabinet was meeting to discuss the next phase in its large-scale military campaign to wipe out extremist groups in the Palestinian territory. (AFP) |
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School, colleges toremain closed today Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 31: The Government and private schools besides colleges shall remain closed in view of Jammu bandh on Monday. An official spokesman from Deputy Commissioner’s Jammu office told Excelsior that all Government and private schools in Jammu shall remain closed on April 1, however, the Board exams will be held as per schedule already announced. |
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8 militants killed in 3 encounters Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Mar31: While as eight militants were killed in three different gunbattles in Kashmir valley today, villagers in Baramulla fished out a body of Lashker-e-Toiba militant from River Jehlum. Informed sources in north Kashmir told EXCELSIOR that on a tip off, troops of RR 2 Bn, 15 JAKLI and SOG Waripora cordoned Babagund village in Pattan area of Baramulla district this afternoon. As the security personnel were zeroed in on target houses, militants came out from a house and attacked them. The fire was returned and in the ensuing encounter, which concluded this evening, three militants were killed. Official sources revealed that all the slain militant owe allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). One of them has been identified as Rashid Ahmed Tantray R/o Sherpora Pattan. Two other slain militants are believed to be residents of Pakistan. Two AK rifles, one pistol and some ammunition was recovered from the encounter site. Sources in south Kashmir said that personnel of RR 09 Bn on specific information cordoned Humpathri near Damhal Hanjipora in Kulgam area of Anantnag district, today. Fierce gunbattle broke out between troops and militants hiding in the village, in which three unidentified militants were killed. Sources believed that two of the slain militants were residents of Pakistan. Two AK rifles, four magazines one pistol and a radio set were claimed recovered from the slain militants. In yet another gunbattle in south Kashmir in Pehru forests in Kokernag area of Anantnag district, security forces gunned down two militants’ today morning. According to a defence spokesman, troops of RR 36 Bn laid ambushes in Pehru area. On observing suspicious movement, troops opened fire. In the ensuing gunbattle, two unidentified militants were killed. A soldier identified as Nayak Surinder Singh was critically injured in the incident. Sources said that he was removed to 92 Base Hospital Badami Bagh, Srinagar in a chopper. One AK rifle, four magazines, with 20 rounds and three grenades were recovered from the encounter site. Meanwhile, villagers in Khadnayar Baramulla today fished out dead body of an LeT militant from river Jehlum. He has been identified as Abdullah Azam, resident of Pakistan. Azam was injured in a chance encounter with security forces on March 12 and had jumped into river Jehlum afterwards. One hand grenade, one Pouch and a digital diary were recovered from him. |
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